Crown of Winter, ASOIAF - Overview

21.02.21

Introduction

Welcome to the Overview for a project to make the Crown of Winter, Robb Stark’s crown from A Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIAF), the series of novels that inspired Game of Thrones.

Here I can offer you a little insight into the item that demanded attention, and the character that bring it to life!

While this unlicenced replica is intended for decorative purposes or for use as a cosplay prop, the main reason for building originally was to sharpen my skills and help a fellow ASOIAF enthusiast! The evolution of those skills and the Crown of Winter design go hand in hand.

Check out the links at the bottom of the page for full detailed build guides.

Lady Stoneheart

This originally came about because a member of the ASOIAF community on Twitter pulled out a horrifically gory and stand-out cosplay of the Mother of Mercy herself: Lady Stoneheart. She mentioned lacking a crown and I had recently bought my first 3D Printer and wanted items to try and make; this seemed too perfect to pass up!

The reveal of Lady Stoneheart is still enough to send shivers up my spine years after reading it. While her coming may have been foretold in the text, nobody could have quite seen t*hat* coming. Mother Merciless is vengeance incarnate and some believe she will be bringing her brand of hempen revenge to that most quarrelsome of families: The Freys.

The Silent Sister has said goodbye to past allegiances, her friends have become foes and even those now closest to her would not recognize who she once was. The Hangwoman gives out the gift of Mercy across the Riverlands, but what is it she is searching for?

A rather horrific and gory looking neck wound on Lady Stoneheart cosplay from ASOIAF. — “She don’t speak. You bloody bastards cut her throat too deep for that. But she remembers.”

The Crown of Winter

The crown she clutches is that of her butchered eldest child and King in the North: Robb Stark, the Young Wolf. It has passed through several hands to finally end up in Stoneheart’s icy grip. Much like Robb Stark’s Will, we may not have seen the last of it.

It is a robust crown that is principally simple and solid in its design. There are multiple versions and artist interpretations of the item, some simple and sublime while others are more intricate and regal. Given the context, source and my own skill level, I opted for one of the simpler ones presented to begin with, using official artwork as the primary reference point. No gemstones or jewels are adorned; it embodies the North in every respect. This seemed like an obvious choice for an item to make from a book series that means so much to me.

An open circlet of hammered bronze incised with the runes of the First Men, surmounted by nine black iron spikes wrought in the shape of longswords.

The Process

As I had little experience, I didn’t have many advanced thoughts as to the process of making this. At this stage, it was simply a matter of just trying. The simple plan was to see if I could make the swords and circlet in 123 AutoDesign and just keep trying to overcome whatever roadblock I hit.

I wasn’t sure what materials to use between PLA and ABS, but this project really helped with teaching me the advantages and disadvantages of each. I had, however, come across the exact paint I wanted to use: Halfords Ford Roman Bronze.

Result

The life size and mini crown, finished and beside each other. Finished Crown of Winter from ASOIAF — Mini and lifesized variants of the Final Versions of the Crown of Winter

As one of my first models, Robb Stark’s Crown of Winter from ASOIAF was a project that kept me hooked through early failures. Without this project, none of the subsequent ones would have likely even been started. Check out the process in the articles below: